Apple TV Why is it so hard to jailbreak the ATV3

[Che Castro]

Is it a software thing or hardware

And why doesn't apple do what they did to the ATV3 to there other idevices so people won't jailbreak

 

[heisenberg123]

I'd guess hardware since it uses the same firmware as atv2

 

[alexreich]

Is it a software thing or hardware

And why doesn't apple do what they did to the ATV3 to there other idevices so people won't jailbreak

The new hardware and different firmware configuration causes a lot of issues for the jailbreak developers. They have to re-write all of their code, as any previous code for older hardware is essentially useless.

Also, with all of the A4-based devices, there has been a well known hardware-level exploit that cannot be fixed, so that is why the iPhone 4, iPad 1, iPod touch 4, and AppleTV2 get jailbroken so quickly after an update.

 

[UKBeast]

The new hardware and different firmware configuration causes a lot of issues for the jailbreak developers. They have to re-write all of their code, as any previous code for older hardware is essentially useless.

Also, with all of the A4-based devices, there has been a well known hardware-level exploit that cannot be fixed, so that is why the iPhone 4, iPad 1, iPod touch 4, and AppleTV2 get jailbroken so quickly after an update.

Iphone 4s uses A5 and it is jailbroken..

Common this should not be so long, without jailbreaking apple tv is really really not pirate friendly.

 

[FrancoisC]

Iphone 4s uses A5 and it is jailbroken..

Common this should not be so long, without jailbreaking apple tv is really really not pirate friendly.

Who cares about that?

I like jailbreaking my iDevices, but I can honestly say I never pirated anything on them

But to answer the OP, I read an article here around the Time the ATV3 came out, and apparantly it use a custom single core A5 chip, which make it way harder to jailbreak.

The devs are not saying it's impossible, just that they have no idea how long it could take

 

[UKBeast]

Who cares about that?

I like jailbreaking my iDevices, but I can honestly say I never pirated anything on them

But to answer the OP, I read an article here around the Time the ATV3 came out, and apparantly it use a custom single core A5 chip, which make it way harder to jailbreak.

The devs are not saying it's impossible, just that they have no idea how long it could take

A5 cpu is custom made for ATV3 it is single core, the other core is disabled so the A5 in iphone4s is dual core thats the difference. Then again, if they can jailbreak iphone 4s, ipad 2, ipad 3 why not atv3 ?

I do not understand is it very difficult ?

The problem is i think atv is not taking interest as much as iphone 4s, though it might take more attention in public to jailbreak iphone 4s instead of a device which has much lesser users.

 

[HandySam]

I think it will be very hard to jailbreak because of the custom A5 and because there isn't a lot of software that has potential software vulnerability's.

The software that the Apple TV runs isn't the same as what other idevices run. It isn't full fledged iOS and because of it's limited capability's there aren't allot of potential vulnerability's.

So I think it will either take a very long time till they are able to jailbreak it or they won't be able to jailbreak it at all.

 

[UKBeast]

I think it will be very hard to jailbreak because of the custom A5 and because there isn't a lot of software that has potential software vulnerability's.

The software that the Apple TV runs isn't the same as what other idevices run. It isn't full fledged iOS and because of it's limited capability's there aren't allot of potential vulnerability's.

So I think it will either take a very long time till they are able to jailbreak it or they won't be able to jailbreak it at all.

This is very sad news then.. Now I have to convert all my mkvs to m4v, I have to keep my macbook running to watch movie, to listen music so on..

I am living in Turkey here we do not have itunes match as well so for even to listen a single music mbp is running all day long !, extra electricty cost, shortening my mbp lifetime.

 

[maturola]

Is it a software thing or hardware

And why doesn't apple do what they did to the ATV3 to there other idevices so people won't jailbreak

IT's a combination of both, new hardware and software.

What make it so hard, is that ATV use a fraction of the APIs that other idevices uses, which make the attack surface smaller. think about a house with only 2 windows when you can get it, if you try to put a rock on the windows is hardware than if you try a house that have 100 windows.

 

[UKBeast]

IT's a combination of both, new hardware and software.

What make it so hard, is that ATV use a fraction of the APIs that other idevices uses, which make the attack surface smaller. think about a house with only 2 windows when you can get it, if you try to put a rock on the windows is hardware than if you try a house that have 100 windows.

I am hoping to get the jailbreak in a few months.

 

[chickenwingfly]

I am hoping to get the jailbreak in a few months.

I'm losing my hope (popularity sake, anyway last jailbreaks took a long time), but what I'm hoping for is a new revision of Apple's firmware to allow third party apps on the little thing then maybe we could have XMBC and others without jailbreak (which is the only reason I'm thinking of jail breaking the ATV, I won't, read, won't convert my movies to iTunes friendly nor will have them managed via iTunes, I can deal with MP3s @ 128 kbps, but NOT movies with good resolution, plus my relatives need subtitles so I would have to hard-encode them and stuff like that).

 

[UKBeast]

I'm losing my hope (popularity sake, anyway last jailbreaks took a long time), but what I'm hoping for is a new revision of Apple's firmware to allow third party apps on the little thing then maybe we could have XMBC and others without jailbreak (which is the only reason I'm thinking of jail breaking the ATV, I won't, read, won't convert my movies to iTunes friendly nor will have them managed via iTunes, I can deal with MP3s @ 128 kbps, but NOT movies with good resolution, plus my relatives need subtitles so I would have to hard-encode them and stuff like that).

Apple was thought to release SDK for 3rd party developers at WWDC but we have not anything on atv side. I am sick of converting files. There is a world of mkv on internet but apple only plays but mp4 and it also has to be running on itunes.

If release SDK probably one of the first apps will get will be a media player for mkv and subtitles.

 

[chickenwingfly]

Apple was thought to release SDK for 3rd party developers at WWDC but we have not anything on atv side. I am sick of converting files. There is a world of mkv on internet but apple only plays but mp4 and it also has to be running on itunes.

If release SDK probably one of the first apps will get will be a media player for mkv and subtitles.

Yeah you're right, after I posted that I went and googled (since I was basically off the WWDC after day one) and no avail :roll eyes:

Guess an app that could AirPlay just one app would do (thinking XMBC, but without the comfort of changing movies and all on the ATV) without any other iDevice in the middle but maybe I've been too lazy to look for it.

 

[UKBeast]

Yeah you're right, after I posted that I went and googled (since I was basically off the WWDC after day one) and no avail :roll eyes:

Guess an app that could AirPlay just one app would do (thinking XMBC, but without the comfort of changing movies and all on the ATV) without any other iDevice in the middle but maybe I've been too lazy to look for it.

AirFlick does that but still it has to be in m4v or mp4 format to dance with itunes, then again it is the same thing with itunes, you still have to keep a computer open. I want to stream from my nas.

 

[Che Castro]

Get an app called "air video"

 

[chickenwingfly]

Get an app called "air video"

But I was thinking more of something that can stream JUST one app's window to the ATV, sort of, wanting to stream XMBC for instance.

Most apps I encounter either airplay the whole screen (useless) or will stream something by themselves (video, etc).

Probably such thing doesn't exist.

Edit:

Lemme rephrase that not to sound so off topic.
The only reason I would like to jailbreak the ATV would be to install XMBC (and there is another app, 8 bucks or something) so that it can connect to my Mac (which is on 24/7 mostly, and is my main computer) and browse (via the remote) the library of whatever I have and pick something and stream it (at least, that is what I think XMBC does, otherwise why the hype).
So far I can do that via iTunes (mac, ATV, remote) but then iTunes sucks, it expects you to have videos on the format it handles and if I want subtitles for things NOT bought on the AppStore I need to hard-encode them (hello again 2001).

So, even if I don't know if it would work, I think by jail breaking you can install XMBC, then use it's wonderful interface to browse whatever is on your Mac's XMBC collection (with -I presume- info automatically fetched from the intrawebs and whatnot) and then stream something, using the remote, while having your PC on the other room working on other things.

So far I can either stream the whole Lion screen, or have to use an iDevice as either an intermediary or standalone streamer, but then there is no interaction with the remote, no picking of a video, no nothing. In short, no collection, just "what do you wanna play today Sir" and then going and copying it to the iDevice or being limited to things (VLCRemote and others).